What Is So Great About Confidence?

How many times have you felt total confidence in your life? This can be anything. Maybe it was a test for college that you were completely prepared for, or a project at work that you knew you would be able to over deliver on. I bet those times where you were more confident than usual you were able to step up to the plate and deliver the way you knew you could.

I’m not talking about the egotistical type of confidence that we are all forced to witness from time to time.

I’m talking about the real kind of confidence that you feel inside, and instead of having to tell people about it, they can sense it.

The feeling of complete and total confidence is great. It gives you a sense of security in yourself and allows you to be completely honest with yourself and others.

This reminds me of my last job interview. I already had a job when I entered into the interview, but I was not very happy with it. It was decent but I was definitely not challenged, and was becoming very bored.

So I decided I would test the waters and start looking for a new job that would be more fulfilling and pay a little better. During this search I was very picky. I didn’t apply to job descriptions that didn’t interest me. I already had that job. Instead, I picked ones that looked like they would give me more responsibility and offer a little more variety.

Luckily I received a call back rather shortly from the second place I sent my resume to. An interview was set, and I began my typical preparedness strategy for interviews.

· Read up extensively on the business/institution

· Read up on the business/institution industry

· Read up on general interview tips

This is what I have always done and it works well for me. I am sure there are other valuable tips available so please leave comments on other suggestions you may have.

While I was preparing the week leading up to the interview I began to think about how my life might change if I received an offer and took the job. I also thought about how my life would stay the same if I don’t get offered the job.

The job I was in was boring and had very low pay. On the plus side they covered my graduate school tuition. If I was to leave my job for a new one it would either need to be very exciting and pay more (so I could cover my own tuition), or just pay more. If it was just a lateral move I wasn’t interested.

Going through this thought process helped me narrow down exactly what I didn’t want.

Sometimes knowing what you don’t want is just as easy as knowing what you want, and sometimes it may even be easier.

This is where my confidence grew from.

When it was finally time to go into the interview I knew exactly what I didn’t want. I didn’t want a job that had me doing one repetitious task all day. I had that already, why would I move to a place that wouldn’t further my skills or challenge me, I have way more to offer. Obviously there was a price, but I was fairly certain the offer wasn’t going to be huge.

I knew the tipping point would be on the day-to-day activities.

During the interview I asked (the individual who is my current boss) what the typical day-to-day activities would be if I was offered the position. I remember thinking that if the answer was not what I wanted I would politely finish the interview, go home and begin searching for a new job. He described the typical day to me and I was pleased with his answer. I actually brought up the fact that I was pleased and explained to him how I was disappointed with the amount of activity that was included in my then current position and how I was looking for something completely different from that.

I believe here is exactly where my confidence in knowing what I didn’t want, allowed me to be honest with myself and the interviewer.

I made it clear that if this job was basically going to be what I was doing already, then I wasn’t interested.

I ended up getting the position and am still there today, but I think this story may have had another ending if I had been more desperate. Had I not already had a job, then my honest answer would have been I will do whatever, if you will pay me and I probably would have come off that way in the interview and I may not have received the offer.

So what is so great about confidence, and how does it relate to money?

Well money can do a lot of things. It can buy you a house, a boat, finance awesome vacations to tropical paradises. It can also allow you to make decisions in certain situations that without confidence, you may not have been able to do.

For instance, if you have a large savings and your employer begins to change your occupation in a way you do not agree with, you have more options than you would without the savings. Maybe you would have the confidence to bring up to your employer that you do not like the new direction your position is taking and would like to have a discussion with him or her. If you were living paycheck to paycheck your fear of reprisal may be too great to mention your dismay to your employer, knowing if you lost your job you have no reserve to fall back on.

A possible business opportunity may arise that you are very interested in. Without some kind of financial security these possible opportunities may be just that, possible opportunities. With a decent amount of savings or investment, you are in a better position to take on more risk, given you do your proper due diligence, than you would be in debt or with no financial security.

I am sure there are better examples, but I believe that financial security can gives us the confidence to make decisions and be more honest than we would without it. I personally am far from complete financial security (whatever that is) but every day as I build my wealth, I can feel my confidence grow. I become more straightforward with myself and begin to see new opportunities around me that before seemed basically implausible.

My optimism has grown exponentially and I believe that this must be the case for many others as well.

Has your confidence grown since you began to take your finances more seriously?

What happens when you realize totally financially secure, do you see things differently and are able to be more honest with yourself and others?

Please let me know how you feel about this.

Ian
The 30ss